Sorry for the extended writing break. I blame my brother and my nephew. My brother listened to a Coltrane record and had a personal jazz reawakening. He didn’t have to do any arm twisting to drag me into it with him. Right now I’d much rather listen to Joe Henderson than whatever Lana Del Ray record I’m supposed to write about next. He’s doing some amazing writing about his jazz journey, and if you’re actually here on my blog reading my shit you’ll probably also dig what he’s doing over at his. In this writing game I’m the Frank Stallone to his Sly, so you should probably just quit reading here and click that link above. My nephew plays basketball for the Northern Iowa Panthers and I’ve made long drives to Valparaiso (IN), Normal (IL), and Cedar Falls (IA) several times over the past two months to watch him and the Panthers. If you dig college basketball you should get in on UNI now so you know what’s up when I’m yelling “I TOLD YOU SO” come mid-March. Anyway, that’s where I’ve been. Enjoy my thoughts on Eminem.
Apple Music Rank: 80
Album: The Marshall Mathers LP
Artist: Eminem
Year: 2000
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Was I familiar with Eminem? The deeper into this list we go, the less necessary this question becomes
Had I heard The Marshall Mathers LP? Yes, but not for a long time
Thoughts on The Marshall Mathers LP: Marshall Mathers and I have a complicated relationship. People throw around terms like “GOAT” or “Greatest Rapper Alive” without putting much thought behind it, but I do think about things like this. Frequently. If we’re talking purely about skills, I can’t think of a better rapper in the history of the art form than Eminem. Maybe Busta Rhymes. Eminem’s lyrical dexterity can make your head spin. He’s as creative as any songwriter and can horrify while simultaneously making you laugh. He’s sold more albums than any other hip hop artist. I don’t know how much weight that carries in the streaming era, but it should still mean something that Eminem has sold more records than any rapper, ever. He checks just about every box on the “What I Look For in a Rapper” checklist. So why don’t I want to listen to him?
It’s not that I don’t like the music. Listening to The Marshall Mathers LP today I was reminded how loaded this album is. It seems every 3-4 minutes I was mumbling to myself, “Oh shit, this one is on here?” I was also reminded that my tolerance for his lyrical insanity wears thin after 10-15 minutes. I can only hear so many jokes about gruesomely murdering his haters, raping his own mother, getting his dick sucked by every pop star he claims to hate, or tying up his ex and putting her in his trunk before it gets old. After a truly stupid and lazy opening intro skit – I consider Eminem to be the opposite of stupid and lazy, so I find the intro disappointing – he blows your mind with his songwriting and delivery on the opening track “Kill You“. It’s the entire Eminem experience in one song. Almost like he’s testing the listener. If you like it, you’ll be fine for the rest of the album. If it rubs you the wrong way – and there are countless reasons why it could or should – you should stop now. I spend most of “Kill You” either laughing my ass off or thinking, “Oof…did he really need to go there?” Eminem says the stuff that you might think in the darkest corners of your mind but wouldn’t dare say out loud. He shouts it proudly and couldn’t care less how you feel about it. I love that about him. That’s art. Too frequently he just takes it to an area that makes me uncomfortable. “Stan” is clever, thought provoking, self-aware, and perfectly delivered. It also makes my skin crawl. I’m not sure I want my music to do that. I don’t remember ever thinking, “I could go for an album that makes me feel physically ill.” Speaking of physically ill, that’s exactly how “Kim” makes me feel. By the end of that track I wanted to throw my AirPods across the room and cry in a corner.
Again, respect and credit to Eminem for making music that can provoke that kind of feeling. He’s a phenomenal talent. I’m not sure there is or ever will be another person who can do what he does. I compare him to the horror movie genre. I acknowledge the skill and respect it, but if I’m going to take the time to watch something, that’s not what I choose to watch.
I enjoy Eminem in small doses. When he’s on, he’s definitely in the GOAT conversation. A full album is too much for me. Keep doing what you’re doing, though, Em. The world needs Eminem. Amazing rapper. Fearless artist. Respect.
Favorite track: My wife is not an avid music listener. Her default music is a Pandora station that plays mostly 80s stuff. Hair bands, Madonna, NKOTB, etc. She loves Metallica, which is a real head scratcher because it doesn’t fit her personality at all. The even bigger head scratcher is that her favorite hip hop song is a random deep cut buried at the end of this 25 year old album called “Bitch Please 2” by Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Nate Dogg. Don’t ask me. She chose a good one, though. This beat is classic Dr. Dre and the rappers on it shine until Eminem shows up on the last verse and blows everyone away. I doubt he does it intentionally, but Eminem has a serious tendency to drop nuclear bombs on posse cuts and make even the best look really average. Not sure why anyone agrees to join him on a track. He’s not capable of dumbing his flow down to lower himself to others’ level.
Will I listen to The Marshall Mathers LP again? Probably not. I’ll definitely put my favorite songs on playlists, but I can’t see listening to this entire album ever again. “Kim” scares me.
Would I buy it on vinyl? No. The appeal of a record is that you can drop the needle and listen to something from start to finish. I just explained above why I wouldn’t do that with this album.
To access more expert analysis of the Apple 100 Best Albums list click here.
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